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What I Loved The Most About Paris

For this post I will write about my two favorite shops that I got to visit when I was in Paris. I am sure there are many more wonderful places to go (but I only had one weekend!). I only went to one museum while I was there because I really wanted to just be outside and explore as much as I could by simply walking around. There were two shops that I planned on visiting, as they were highly recommended by a local French gentlemen sitting next to me on the train.

The first recommendation was to go to Angelina’s and have their famous hot chocolate. I decided to have lunch there as well. There was a long line to just get into the chocolate shop, but they were pretty efficient and it was worth the short wait. I had a three cheese ravioli. Sounds pretty simple, but no…it was AMAZING! The cheese in France is to die for! I always wandered what the big deal was with the cheese and how much better can it be by not being pasteurized….Let me tell you…all the fuss about it is completely true – It’s so deliciously rich and amazing.

I also had a hot chocolate. It was so thick, it was the consistency of a soft milky syrup. I wasn’t able to finish it because it was so rich, but thoroughly enjoyed what I could take in – yummo! If anyone who is reading this is planning on going to Paris, you must go to Angelina’s!

I thought I had taken a picture of my hot chocolate and meal, but I am unable to find them. I grabbed a few crooked shots of the room.

My next favorite shop that was highly recommended by the Frenchman is the Mariage Frères, which is a famous tea store. I believe they have shops in other countries as well. The shop I visited in Paris has a little museum upstairs and then downstairs is where the tea shop was. All of the men who worked there dressed in off-white suits and they were very educated about tea. They have huge black canisters on the wall of all kinds of tea variations. They would get as many down as you would like for you to smell and talk about the flavor.

With such a short time in Paris, there were fewer pictures and so I only have the two posts about Paris.

In summary, I had a lovely time. What I loved the most about Paris was the simplicity of enjoying myself by walking the streets and breathing in the culture, enjoying the beautiful architecture, tasting the delicious cheese and chocolate, and relaxing by sitting at an outdoor cafe sipping some wine or a latte. While I didn’t tour many art galleries, go to opera, or eat at any 5 star restaurants…It was the little things that I enjoyed most and I think they would have still been my favorite even if I did do the big fancy things.

So what I loved most…

It was the uncomfortable feeling when I was ordering off of an all French menu and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to get. It was the chat I had with the friendly locals (Yes, the French people were friendly to me even though I am American!). It was the history I got to see with my own eyes as I walked through the streets without a plan and with only an umbrella and a camera. It was just me doing these little things and they were my favorite.